THE ANIMAL FILES

European mole

Talpa europaea

Tiny, fur-hidden eyes are still eyes that can detect light.

The European mole is adapted to a world of soil and tunnels, but that world is not sealed off from everything above it. Its food supply depends strongly on earthworms, its tunnel use changes with conditions, and young animals sometimes have to travel at the surface to establish a place of their own.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
European mole
Image: Didier Descouens · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Food preference
Earthworms, with insects also important[1]
Eyes
Small and hidden beneath fur, but light-sensitive[1]
Habitat limits
Neither flooded nor very dry soil suits normal occupation[1]

A food network beneath the lawn

Earthworm abundance strongly influences where European moles occur. In places with fewer worms, insects become more important, including both larvae and adults. The mole is therefore searching for animals in soil, rather than making its living by eating the roots above its tunnels. A conspicuous mound says that earth has moved; it does not reveal the contents of a meal.[1]

Underground does not mean blind

Its eyes are small and concealed by fur. Nevertheless, studies report withdrawal from bright light and performance in light–dark discrimination tasks. That is evidence of visual function, not evidence of sharp, detailed sight. Reduced eyes can retain a useful job even when they do not resemble the prominent eyes of a surface-active hunter.[1]

Tunnels belong to changing ground

The species does not normally occupy flooded or dry soils. During dispersal, young moles leave their mothers’ burrows and may travel above ground to locate new territories. Tunnel depth and use can also vary with season and soil conditions. A mole on the surface is therefore not automatically a creature that has lost its way; movement between tunnel systems is part of its life.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Are European moles completely blind?

No. Their reduced eyes can distinguish light from dark, although this does not imply high-resolution vision.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Would an empty patch with very dry soil necessarily become good mole habitat just because it has no rivals?

Reveal the explanation

No. Suitable soil conditions and food, especially earthworms, matter as well as space. An unoccupied patch can still be unsuitable.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Talpa europaea (adapted and translated; exact revision)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Talpa europaea (identity and game lineage)

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

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